Shoot me...

Apparently Steve Spurrier is upset at the admissions people at the University of South Carolina because two of his recruits did not meet the schools rigid academic standards for admission:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2962823

And by "rigid" I mean that USC lets in borderline retards. While I can sympathize with Spurrier's argument that he guarantees recruits that if they meet the minimal standards set by the NCAA clearinghouse they will be accepted to the school, it seems disingenuous to assert that when (apparently) that guarantee has no substance. You won't hear Spurrier arguing that he wasn't aware of this possibility or that the university promised him that all his recruits (if minimally qualified) would be accepted. Basically, Spurrier promised these kids something he knew, or should have known, may not come to fruition.

Instead, he whines because he "can't operate like this". This isn't even a disguised statement that he wants to bring in the best athletes he can without regard to their abilities as students.

I'm not so short-sighted and biased to ignore the "minimally qualified athletes deserve a place to play" argument. The argument fails, obviously, for two major reasons:

First, minimally qualified NCAA athletes do have a place to play: junior college. Seemed to work out alright for Chad Johnson and the scores of other NFL players that started at the junior college level for whatever reason.

Second, these athletes (as they are qualified to play D-I football) could play in any number of programs in the entire country...just not at South Carolina. I would find it hard to believe that an academically qualifying SC recruit will have a difficult time finding a new D-I program to take him in. I wouldn't doubt that Clemson has already made a phone call.

The fact of the matter is that schools with low graduation rates are at risk of losing scholarships. Furthermore, just because a student-athlete meets the minimal qualifications to compete in college athletics is no guarantee of success in an academic capacity. With this understanding I think South Carolina's admissions people should be commended for standing their ground to the 'Ole Ball Coach and his ridiculous bitching and moaning.